Shutter-fastener



(No Model.)

G. C. WEEKS.

. SHUTTER FASTE'NER.

No. 473,648.v l' 'Patented Apr. 26, 1892i.

1H: wams Pneus cm. waterman., wnsmmnfum4 nA c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. VEEKS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHUTTER-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 473,648, dated April 26, 1892.

Application tiled August 18, 1891. Serial No. 403,005. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. WEEKS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shutter-Fasteners, which will, in connection with the accompanying drawings, be hereinafter fully described, and specifically defined in the appended claims.

Myinvention consists in a shutter or blind fastener of novel construction and comprising a pair of catches attached to the blind, so as to swing therewith in one direction to engage a fixed staple or catch-holder secured to the window-sill to fasten the blind when closed and in the other direction to engage a catch-holder on a bracket secured to the wall of the buildingto fasten the blind when Wide open, said bracket being constructed so as also to serve as a support to the blind to prevent it from sagging and disarrangingits slats, the novel features of which fastener are hereinafter more fully explained, and specically pointed out in the appended claims.

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation showing a blind hinged to a window-frame in the usual mannerand swung open and secured back against the Wall of the building by means of my improved fastening. Fig. 2 is a similar elevation showing the blind half-way open, giving an edge view thereof and a side view of the two catches secured in the bottom rail of the blind and a front view of the bracket secured to the wall. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the blind, taken as on line X X, Fig. l, when the blind is closed and viewed from the left of said line and showing one of the pivoted catches interlocked with a staple in the window-sill to secure the blind in its closed position. Fig. l is a similar vertical section taken as on line ZZ, Fig. l, when the blind is open and viewed from the right of said line and showing the opposite pivoted catch interlocked with the catch-holder on the bracket attached to the wall to secure the blind in its open position. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the metallic catch-support inserted in the bottom rail of the blind and showing the two opposite catches pivoted therein, all full size, and indicating by dotted lines the different positions which the two pivoted catches will assume relatively to each other when operated'by closing the blind or by manipulation when the blind is open. Fig.V 6 is a vertical section taken as on line Y Y, Fig. 5, and viewed from the left of said line, showing the inserted catch support or hanger and the manner of pivotally hanging the catches therein.

A is the window-frame, to which the blind B is hinged at C C in the usual manner, and the window-sill D is provided with the usual staple or catch-holder E to fasten the blind to when closed. Inserted in the bottom rail of the blind B is an angular metallic plate F, constitutinga support or hanger for the pair of pivoted catches, and which is secured in place by screws G, through the lateral arms II H thereof, as shown. In this hanger F are pivoted at I I the catches J and J', facing in opposite directions.` These catches J J are formed with irregular outlines, having inclines K K' to enable them to readily ride over the catch-holders fixed in the sill and wall, to which they respectively attach themselves when the blind is full y opened or closed, and which inclined edges lead into correspondingly-inclined slots L and L', forming hooks in the catches, which respectively engage the said xed catch-holders, and thus secure the blind in closed or open position, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4. The catches noi'- mally rest in a horizontal position, counterbalancing each other by their gravity, and are formed and arranged to interlock and coact with each other, so that the movement of the inside one will operate the outside one, but not vice versa. By raising catch J from its normal horizontal position it will correspondingly raise catch J', and depressing catch J will also raise catch J', thereby releasing the catch from the fixed wall-bracket; but when the blind is closed the catch J can be released from its staple only from the inside, as catch J cannot be depressed and thereby raise it, and if raised will rise independently of it, leaving catch J undisturbed on its staple or holder. Catch J has a salient point J 2 which projects into a curve J3 in the corresponding corner of catch J', as shown, and also a receding curve J l below said point J 2. By this construction when the outer end ot' catchJ is raised the point J 2 will turn in contact with curve J3 of catch J', causing the outer end of IOO the latter to turn upward correspondingly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. Depressing the outer end of catch J will also raise the outer end of catch J' by contact of the lower portions J5 and JG of the two catches, the curve J4 permitting the lower corner of curve J 3 to turn freely about its pivot as the two catches are thus turned in contact with each other, as is also indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5. This construction makes it easy to unfasten the blindy from its wall-bracket to close the same, as it may be readily done, as stated, by either lifting or depressing the outer end of catch J; but when the blind is closed and fastened catch J cannot be released from its holder in the window-sill by manipulating the outer end of catch J', as already explained, because curve J3 will lift upon the projecting corner J2 and parts J5 and J(i will counteract and resist each other, thus preventing the depression of the outer end of catch J', as will be. readily understood from the drawings. Therefore the blind can be opened only from the inside and by directly raising catch J, and thus releasing its slot or hook L from the catchholder E. The wall-bracket M, secured in proper position to the wall N of the building, is formed withlugsP I), through which the bracket is nailed or otherwise fastened to the wall N, and a projecting body, the outer face of which is rounded and having a slot R therein, across which a catch-holder S is secured to engage slot L' of catch J' when the blind is open and secured to the wall. When the blind is thus swung wide open and secured, the bracket also upholds the blind against sagging, and thereby getting out of repair and disarranging the slats by furnishing a rest for the same -upon the top of the bracket, into which posiinasmuch as the holder after lifting the catch by contact with the inclined edge K or K strikes the front edge of the lower part J5 or J 5, thus accelerating the fall ofthe correspondingly-inclined slot L or L' onto its holder, accordin g to the direction it is swinging before the reaction takes place, and the tendency of such rebound being then to hook the catch onto its holder more firmly, owing to the forward inclination and low position of said slots.

I claiml. In a shutter-fastener, the described combination of two catches J and J', separately pivoted to a hanger F, attached to the bottom of the shutter, catch J being formed with a salient corner J 2 and a receding curve J 4 and catch J with an inwardly-curved corner J3, the two catches being respectively provided with projections J5 and J 5, each extending below the hook of its catch andv also pivotally arranged relatively to each other and formed tointerlock, as described, whereby the raising or depressing of the hook of catch J will raise the hook of catch J', while the raising of the hook of catch J' will be independent of and without effect upon catch J, as and for the purposes specified.

2. In combination, a supporting-bracket M, fixed to the wall and provided with -a slot R and a catch-holder S, and a catch J', pivotally secured to the bottom of the shutterand having an incline K and a correspondingly-incline'd notch L' and projection J6, extending below the notch, whereby the shutter is firmly supported against sagging and secu relylocked in its open position, as specified.

3. The described combination of catches J and J', pivoted to a hanger F, attached to the shutter, the catches being formed with inclines K and K', leading into correspondinglyinclined slots L and L', and with downward projections J5 and J5., extending below the inclines and serving as stops against the catchholders and to insure the interlocking of the catch and holder, as specified.

GEORGE C. WEEKS i/Vitnessesa EUGENE HUMPHREY, HENRY HUNT LETTENEY. 

